Getting Babies to Go to Sleep on Their Own

Many new parents learn the art of surviving sleep deprivation, but they can get more rest by teaching their baby to soothe herself to sleep. Getting a baby to go to sleep on her own takes practice for baby and time and commitment from Mom and Dad. It may be hard for both you and baby at first, but as time passes, it will get easier for both of you. Before you know it, bedtime will be the easiest part of your day.

Instructions

    • 1

      Set a bedtime. The most important step is to get baby's internal clock set, so that he will naturally become sleepy at bedtime. Having a set bedtime night after night will help his body realize when it is time to go to sleep. Eventually his body will learn when it's bedtime, and he will become naturally drowsy.

    • 2

      Create a routine. Having a bedtime routine will help ease your baby into sleepiness. This routine will also signal to her and her body that bedtime is near. A bedtime routine might include a bath, changing into pajamas, a lullaby, a nighttime feeding and a kiss before you lay her into the crib.

    • 3

      Break old habits. If your baby has become accustomed to you feeding or rocking him to sleep, then this is a habit you will have to break so that he can learn to put himself to sleep. That said, you can still incorporate feeding or rocking into his bedtime routine. The key is to feed and rock him while he is still wide awake. If he tends to doze off during this part of the routine, then begin the routine a little earlier.

    • 4

      Put the baby to bed before she is too sleepy. While you want baby to be sleepy at bedtime, you don't want her to be overly tired. That will lead to fussiness and her insistence that you help her go to sleep, because it hinders her ability to put herself to sleep. Likewise, you also don't want her to be overstimulated at bedtime. Having a quiet hour before bed and beginning her bedtime routine before she is overly tired will help you teach baby to put herself to sleep.

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